Gloucester supervisors again consider school funding change

School bonus payments spark outrage among supervisors

GLOUCESTER — Supervisors will discuss and vote in September on whether to change — from a lump sum to categorical — the method of how county funding is provided to schools.

The supervisors' move to potentially change the funding method was spurred by a May School Board vote to hand out $400 bonuses to school employees. Changing the funding method would provide supervisors more control over how school funds are distributed.

At a time when the School Board was seeking additional funds from the county through an increase in the real estate tax rate, it used savings incurred during the year to give employees $400 bonuses, said Supervisor Gregory Woodard.

"There was no transparency," Woodard said.

Woodard said it was a "reckless decision" to hand out the $400 bonuses and indicates the School Board is "inflating" budgets.

"We can do better," he said.

Supervisor Michelle Ressler said she proposed a change to a categorical funding method at the Jan. 2, 2008, Board of Supervisors meeting to give the School Board ample time to prepare for the change.

But a public outcry followed the supervisors' vote to change the method of funding — there was no advance notice given and the issue wasn't on the agenda prior to the meeting — and the vote was reversed.

Ressler said the supervisors should plan to make the decision to change the funding method by October.

"They'll at least know how the money is going to be allocated," she said.

Supervisor John Northstein said elected officials have to be very careful how they spend money. The bonus payment approval was "not the wisest choice using money we didn't know they had," he said.

The supervisors voted 4-3 Tuesday to discuss the issue at the Sept. 7 regular monthly meeting and to allow the School Board to give a presentation on the topic. Supervisors Carter Borden, Christian "Buddy" Rilee and Louise Theberge voted against the motion.